Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

Hotels on Spain’s Costa Blanca have stopped installing minibars after accusing “mostly British” tourists of refilling bottles with pee and other liquids.

According to Hosbec, a hotel association for Costa Blanca and Benidorm, recent law changes have meant that hotels are no longer obliged to provide a minibar in rooms.

Rule changes in 2015 declared them as an optional service, although smaller hotels of three stars or lower were previously exempt from providing minibars.

However, they were not considered a cost-effective service and 90 percent of hotels along the eastern Spanish Costa Blanca (White Coast) have stopped providing them as a result.

According to reports, one in three surveyed tourists admitted to having drunk bottles from the minibar and then refilling with water or other liquids to avoid paying the over-inflated prices for them.

Refilling bottles is considered one of the most common offences committed by hotel guests, along with stealing towels and food from the buffet, and allowing undeclared guests to stay in the room.

According to the survey, these offences are most common among British tourists.

A Hosbec spokesperson told local media: “It may seem ridiculous, but I can assure you it is true. We have had people filling bottles with pee, and thank God that staff have always detected it.”

Hotels have now decided to do away with minibars or stock them with complimentary water or juice to welcome visitors.

Some establishments have opted to install vending machines in the reception and certain corridors.